"Oh—if they'd have been content with that. But you see, my dear, they all wanted to marry him."
"If they did," said Freda, "that shows that they didn't really care."
"They cared too much, I'm afraid."
"Oh, no. Not enough. If they'd cared enough they'd have got beyond that. However much they wanted it, they'd have given it up, rather than let him go."
As she said it she felt a blessed sense of relief. The deeper they went the more the waters covered her.
"You'll never get a man," said Julia, "to understand that. If he cares for a woman he won't be put off with anything short of marrying her. So he naturally supposes——"
Julia had now gone as deep as she could go.
"Yes," said Freda. "It's in the things he naturally supposes that a man goes so wrong."
"Is it?" Julia paused again. "I don't know whether you realize it, but you and I are the only women Mr. Caldecott ever goes to see. I dare say you were surprised when he told you about me. I was amazed when he told me about you. I've no doubt he made each of us think we were the one exception. You see, we are rather exceptional women, from his unhappy point of view. He knows that I understand him, and I'm sure he thinks that he understands you——"
"So he feels safe with me?"